This year, the holiday season is particular important. For much of the world, 2014 was trying a year. Words like "racism", "starvation", "radicalisation", "Ebola", "terrorism", "poverty", "rape", "unemployment" dominated global headlines. We witnessed a lot of pain, and many confronted unfathomable devastation. There was and is so much sadness.

My Nanna was a bespoke tailoress. She has tried to teach me to sew and knit over the years but I seem to have haberdasher's dyslexia. I miss stitches, misunderstand patterns, forget crucial knots and stages... These days, this is as close to sewing as I get and my are they things of beauty. Dainty button-shaped biscuits, zesty, pretty, rich and beautiful.

Christmas is by far the season in which people feel they HAVE to give because everybody does it, because that's what Christmas is all about or because that's how it's supposed to be. It's grown into 'the bigger the better' but is that really so? How authentic are we giving this Christmas?

Whilst browsing stores, sites and press releases to uncover affordable gems to include in my Christmas Gift Guides, I often come across more high end items that, whilst utterly wonderful, are out of the general gifting price range. These pieces are my Fantasy Christmas Gifts.

A free-for-all Christmas has had a surprisingly deep impact on my family and myself. It's not just that we save money, which we do, but we also approach the holidays with a sense of fun that we lost for a few years (beginning when we grew out of being children). This playfulness is a symptom of an even stronger emotional reaction--a feeling of having more than enough.

I'm busy packing for Christmas in New York (woo!) at the mo so this is just a whole bundle of Christmas present fun with loads of stuff from some of my favourite brands and stores - more of a wish list than a shopping one - for you to have a quick nose at and for my friends and family to take 'inspiration' from...Cold, hard cash and Starbucks vouchers also accepted.

Having worked in the ecommerce industry for over a decade now, I am constantly surprised by the ingenious ways you can save money, from voucher codes offering percentage savings to using price comparison websites to make sure you're going to the best-value stores on the high street.